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Overdrive February 2019

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Overdrive
| February 2019
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e pace of change in trucking seems to have
picked up in recent years. As developments con-
tinue into 2019, here are ve broad areas to watch:
COMPENSATION. Trucking shi ed down
a gear as it concluded a banner year in 2018. A
decent but not great 2019 is forecast, as Senior Ed-
itor James Jaillet reports on page 26. Even so, un-
employment is low, and freight demand remains
relatively strong. at's a recipe for above-average
pay hikes.
AUTONOMOUS TRUCKS. Some of the glitz
has faded, and that won't change in 2019. One
recent telling development was Daimler Trucks &
Buses concluding that platooning – long touted
as an early application for autonomous trucking
– isn't looking so promising. " e technology we
would have to put in," saysCEOMartin Daum,
outweighs the savings.
e autonomous vehicle hype, obvious in recent
years at the annual Consumer Electronics Show,
was more subdued at last month's event, given
newly widespread appreciation of the technical
and regulatory obstacles. Trucking faces the same,
if not higher, hurdles.
at's good news for driver jobs. No one
familiar with the challenges of Level 5 autonomy,
where there is no driver/monitor in the truck, is
predicting its over-the-road trucking debut even
in the next decade.
ELECTRIC TRUCKS. Unlike autonomy, this
twin whiz kid of the trucking world has a clearer
path for development. is year through next,
more eet testing and then commercial produc-
tion of electric and hydrogen-electric trucks will
be under way with newcomers Nikola, Tesla and
or, as well as established truck makers, in varied
truck sizes up to Class 8. Expect scrambling as
truck stops and other players try to build infra-
structure to support alt-energy trucks — if not in
long-haul,then at least in other segments.
INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS. If you have
any doubt about the legal complexities surround-
ing this business model, read Senior Editor Todd
Dills' story about California-based concerns on
page 28. Whatever happens in Congress, the
courts, the U.S. Department of Labor, the IRS or
elsewhere, the legitimacy of leased owner-oper-
ator arrangements may not be totally clari ed by
yearend. Don't be surprised if it gets even more
confusing in California.
HOURS OF SERVICE. The Federal Motor
Carrier Safety Administration will propose a
revised rule, thanks largely to Administrator Ray
Martinez, who has given more than lip service
to that goal. True to his and drivers' mantra,
"flexibility," the revision will try to remedy the
lack of it in the current rule, notably the sleeper
berth split.
As for the demon gadget that measures those
hours, don't expect changes to the electronic log-
ging device mandate. e bright side: Whenever
a new hours rule takes e ect – unlikely to be in
2019, given the speed of major rule changes – with
luck ELDs will measure work and rest hours that
make a little more sense.
Daimler has cast doubts on the cost-effectiveness
of platooning with autonomous trucks.
On tap for 2019
By Max Heine, Editorial Director
mheine@randallreilly.com, twitter: @maxheine